Trapezoidal osteochondral autologous plug singleblock graft for treating chondral lesions of the knee: clinical and functional medium-term results in an observational study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and functional results of autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts fixed with absorbable chondral darts in patients with osteochondral knee lesions of varying sizes. METHODS: Twenty-five patients underwent surgery from February 2000 to June 2008. Seventy-two percent of the patients were male, and the mean age was 29 years. RESULTS: The right side (56%) and the medial condyle (92%) were most affected. The lesions had an average area of 5.28 cm², and the mean follow-up was 59 months. All of the variables other than instability showed significant improvements (p<0.05), as shown by the increase in the mean Lysholm score from 55 points preoperatively to 92 points (p<0.001) postoperatively. There was no loosening or collapse of the osteochondral graft. All of the patients had patellofemoral crepitation and pain for an average of six months. CONCLUSION: Autologous trapezoidal plug single-block grafts are a therapeutic option for defects of varying sizes and provide good clinical results and low morbidity at the donor site in the medium term.

Reconstruction of chronic lesions in the posterolateral corner of the knee with autologous biceps femoralis and fascia lata grafts

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment of patients with chronic lesions in the posterolateral corner of the knee with reconstruction of the fibular collateral ligament, popliteus tendon and popliteofibular ligament and with autografts of the biceps femoris and fascia lata. METHOD: A total of 129 patients with injuries of the posterolateral corner of the knee that lasted for more than three weeks and were associated with the lesion of at least one of the cruciate ligaments were included. All of the patients were operated on consecutively in the same hospital between March 2004 and April 2009. Clinical evaluation using the Lyshom scale and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC, item 4, assessment ligament) protocol was performed in 114 patients for whom there were complete data available. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in the Lyshom score and improved stability according to the IKDC protocol in the pre- compared to postoperative varus stress test at 30 degrees and the posterolateral rotation test. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical reconstruction of the posterolateral corner of the knee with biceps femoris tendon and fascia lata autografts is effective in stabilizing the posterolateral corner of the knee.